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'Hacking' case into canoe couple dropped

A Sky News journalist accused of hacking into the emails of fake canoe death couple John and Anne Darwin will face no further action.

Gerard Tubb allegedly accessed their emails but the CPS said it was uncertain whether this had taken place in the UK, and prosecution would not be in the public interest.

Prosecutors also said that the public interest would outweigh any alleged criminal activity.

Sky News declined to comment.

Mr Darwin admitted faking his own death in March 2002 to allow his wife to make fraudulent insurance and pension claims.

The couple planned a new life in Panama, but were jailed in 2008 after jurors heard how they deceived the police, a coroner, financial institutions and even their family.

"On the evidence currently available it is not possible to ascertain whether the potential offence of unlawful interception of a communication was committed in the UK or the US.

"Although this may warrant further investigation, it has been decided under section 4.2 of the Code for Crown prosecutors that further investigations are not required as, in accordance with the DPP's guidelines, we do not consider that any potential prosecution would be in the public interest."

– Malcolm McHaffie, deputy head of special crime at the CPS

"Having considered the factors set out in the guidelines on cases affecting the media, it is our view that the evidence indicates that the public interest served by the conduct in question outweighs the potential overall criminality, should an offence be proved.

"In reaching this decision, we took into account that the emails were accessed with a view to showing that a criminal offence had been committed and that a number of the same emails were subsequently lawfully obtained by the police and used by the prosecution at the criminal trial of Anne Darwin."